Mullah
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:Molla2.JPG Mullahs (Persian: ملا) are Islamic clergy. Ideally, they should have studied the Qur'an, Islamic traditions (hadith), and Islamic law (fiqh). They are often hafiz who know the Qur'an by heart. However, uneducated villagers often recognise a literate Muslim with a less than complete Islamic training as their "mullah" or religious cleric. Muslim schoolteachers are also often referred to as mullahs. The term is most often applied to Shi'a clerics, as Shi'a Islam is the predominant tradition in Iran. However, the term is very common in Urdu, spoken throughout northern India, and it is used throughout the Indian subcontinent for any Muslim clergy, Sunni or Shi'a.
The term is frequently used in English; it was adopted from Urdu by the British rulers of India. In English, it may carry overtones of condescension and disrespect; it is often found in the phrase "mad mullah". English-speaking Muslim clergy rarely call themselves mullahs.
Mullahs have frequently been involved in politics, but only recently have they actually taken power. Mullahs seized power in Iran in 1979, and later, in Afghanistan under the Taliban.
See also
Template:Islam-stubda:Mullah de:Molla es:Mulá fr:Mollah he:מולה nl:Mullah no:Mulla fi:Mullah sv:Mulla